The present invention relates generally to a methods and a devices for providing multi-function folding eyewear including folding reading glasses, and more particularly to a systems and methods for a multi-function collapsible reading glass eyewear.
Various methods and designs of folding eyewear have been developed. Many of the reading glass variations provide a separate storage compartment to prevent the reading glasses from becoming damaged while not in use. Often, the reading glasses do not involve an optometric prescription but instead provide simple magnification for the purposes of reading. As a result, reading glasses are frequently needed to be carried on the person but not worn for vision purposes at all times.
Often, reading glasses are folded up and stored in a pocket or eyeglass storage compartment. However, such a compartment is neither convenient nor easy to access quickly when a reader needs to view written material. As a result, reading glasses are frequently folded into a closed position small enough to be worn in a pants or shirt pocket but not stowed into the compartment for protection. Unfortunately, the reading glasses are subsequently scratched or otherwise damaged since there is little protection for the lenses. Also, the folding frames are often damaged, especially at the mechanical joints, such as a pivot point by the frequent contact made to both the lenses and folding frames. When worn in a pocket, the frames can be damaged from inadvertent collisions with environmental hazards such as office furniture, automobile doors, and walls.
One approach to these issues is a simple magnifying glass which that is attached to a substantially round holder at a hinge or single pivot point. The holder provides protection for the eye glass. Although not technically a pair of reading glasses, such a device can serve this purpose in a similar configuration to that of a watch or timepiece. Such a stored eye glass or timepiece is well known in the art as are magnifying glasses that pivot out from a holder at a single pivot point. The problem with inventions devices such as these that pivot out from its holder is that they do not provide a single frame when more than one lens is required, such as found in eye wear that are meant to be worn for the purpose of improving vision. As a result, single lens devices are extremely limited in their ability to meet the vision improvement objectives that are required in many optometric applications. Depending on the vision of a particular user, reading glasses with a pair of lenses is often required. Unfortunately, such substantially round pivot opening or hinged opening devices are not properly constructed to protect a pair of lenses affixed to eyewear frames.
However, a combination of eyeglasses and case comprising a frame holding a plurality of lenses is also well known in the art. In some applications, a case for substantially encapsulating a pair of lenses and frame allows a single pivot point to open the article for use as reading glasses. Further, the frames may be integrally coupled to a leaf spring to provide a partial ejection of the reading glasses upon removal from the case. The leaf spring may optionally be used as an ear piece as well. An attachment mechanism further allows the frames to be removed from the case so that a user can wear the glasses without the case attached to the eyewear through the use of a push button release mechanism. The combination may include slide or other mechanisms to facilitate the eyeglasses from being movably attached to the case. Finally, the attachment mechanism may be further coupled to a chain to wear around the neck or belt. Nonetheless, these devices are disadvantageous because they do not allow for rapid access from the case nor do they facilitate improved fit when worn. Further, when worn by the user, the eyewear is distinctly separate from the case, leading to misplaced cases and unprotected eyewear subsequent to the need to rapidly access the eyeglasses.
Another approach known in the art provides eyewear frames that, when not in use as eyeglasses, may be folded into a band for the wrist, arm or ankle. An optional reminder pad may be attached to the eyewear frames for the person using the frames to write short reminders. The reminder pad may be made of paper, washable plastic, or any other suitable writing surface material. A lens may optionally pivot out to allow a user to view something. However, the constant motion and contact with surfaces when worn on the wrist, arm or ankle exposes the lenses to significant potential damage as well as scratching of the lenses. Also, the constant movement of the lenses and band may lead to the lens becoming separated from the band.
In an alternate concept to the previous ones known in the art, a pivoting, foldable eyeglass apparatus is provided. Although similar in concept to the previously described eyeglasses folded into a band for the wrist, arm or ankle, the current design uses a pivot point fastening means to join a first frame and a second frame while the previous approach utilizes a band of flexible material, typically constructed of a pliable material encapsulating a wire of sufficient combinations of strength and flexibility. In the current configuration, the pivoted fastening means foldable eyeglasses further provides a first and second leaf with a protrusion for locking the first frame to the second frame. The second frame has a third leaf with a detent for engaging the protrusion of the first frame such that the first and second frames are rotatably mounted together by a fastening pin hinge means. However, neither the current approach nor the previous approach provides a storage case to protect the lenses of the eyewear. As a result, the lenses are subject to the abuse discussed above including damage of the frames and scratching of the lenses or even worse, destruction of the lenses and frames if crushed up against a wall or piece of furniture.
Another similar device that is a collapsible eyewear apparatus that includes at least one lens supported by a lens support member and a shield member providing a protective shield for an entirety of the lens against inadvertent contact with foreign objects. In some configurations, the collapsible apparatus further includes an earpiece confinement portion distal from the attachment portion and an earpiece member interacting with the confinement portion to accommodate a coplanar relationship with the aperture frame. However, aesthetics are very important in fashionable eyewear and such a bulky set of features as found in this approach may not be desirable to many users. Further, the current configurations may not facilitate rapid access to wearing the lenses in a manner in which the desired material to be viewed is available. As a result, the entire purpose for reading glasses would be thereby defeated. Further, such configurations may also be difficult for older users who may have limited fine motor skills and coordination resulting in a slow time to access the actual reading lenses needed to view the desired subject matter.
In other alternatives, various ways of providing folding eyeglasses have been proposed to make the eyeglasses more compact, easier to carry or easier to store. In one configuration, a nose pad member provides a mechanism to make eyeglasses collapsible but not in a similar way to the pivoted hinge pin fastener. The collapsible glasses frame in the nose pad member configuration have fronts which are spread when used and collapsible when not used, including a mechanism for setting a pad member into a predetermined position when the fronts are spread for use, and a mechanism for shifting the pad member when the fronts are folded up, thus enabling the glasses frame to be made more compact. However, when folded up, the glasses do not provide any protection for the lenses.
Therefore it is desirable to provide a multifunction eyepiece that folds into a small shape that is can be easily manipulated and/or stored, e.g., hung from a necklace or tucked into a pocket of a shirt or blouse.